There is currently a need for a reusable, non-adhesive protective cover which can be used to cover floors, walls and other hard surfaces, during construction, in order to protect them from being damaged. The reusable, non-adhesive protective cover must be flame retardant without utilizing polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Polyvinyl chloride is a fire retardant but when it burns, it creates environmental problems.
The reusable, non-adhesive protective cover must meet a number of international fire and/or flame retardant standards, such as the Loss Prevention Standard 1207, the National Fire Protection Association Standard 701, and the British Standard 5852.
In addition to being fire and flame retardant, the reusable, non-adhesive protective cover must also exhibit the ability to stay in place. Currently, some protective covers use an adhesive coating to keep them in place. A major disadvantage with the adhesively coated covers is that once the adhesive coating become fouled with dirt and dust, it reduces the ability of the adhesive to retain the cover in place. Furthermore, an adhesively coated protective cover which has been contaminated at one job site may damage the surface it is designed to protect at a subsequent job site.
Another consideration is that the reusable, non-adhesive protective cover should exhibit the proper coefficient of friction and peel adhesion for the job at hand. Sometimes, it may be desirable for the surface of the reusable, non-adhesive protective cover, which is positioned adjacent to a floor, wall or object, to have a high coefficient of friction with little or no peel adhesion. This is especially true when the reusable, non-adhesive protective cover is used to protect a glossy surface. Alternatively, in other situations, it may be advantageous to lightly adhere the surface of the reusable, non-adhesive protective cover to an exterior surface of a three dimensional object, that may have to be moved frequently. In this case, the reusable, non-adhesive protective cover may need to have a moderate coefficient of friction and a low peel adhesion. In still other situations, such as when the reusable, non-adhesive protective cover is attached to a wall, there may be a need for the reusable, non-adhesive protective cover to have a moderate coefficient of friction and a moderate peel adhesion.
The non-contact surface of the reusable, non-adhesive protective cover should exhibit the proper attachment and release capabilities such that a joint tape can be used to join adjacent sheets of the reusable, non-adhesive protective cover together. Sometimes, two or more sheets of the reusable, non-adhesive protective cover will need to be joined together to cover large sections of a floor or wall. Other times, it may be necessary to join two or more sheets of the reusable, non-adhesive protective cover together to form a waterproof seal. When it is time to separate the sheets of the reusable, non-adhesive protective cover, the reusable, non-adhesive protective cover should also have adequate material strength properties to allow the joint tape to be removed without tearing or damaging the reusable, non-adhesive protective cover.
In addition to the reusable, non-adhesive protective cover having the aforementioned properties and characteristics, the reusable, non-adhesive protective cover has to be capable of being manufactured in an inexpensive fashion such that it will present a cost savings to the industry.
Now, a reusable, non-adhesive protective cover has been invented which presents a cost effective alternative to adhesively coated protective covers.